Method and system for data rating for wireless devices

ABSTRACT

A method and system for rating a data communication session between a network and a wireless device is disclosed. According to an exemplary aspect of the method, the method monitors a series of events, namely, a setup event, a begin event and an end event, which take place during a communication session. The monitoring of such events is accomplished by a data rating application which resides on the wireless device. By monitoring such events, the data rating application is then able to rate the communication session using a number of rating methods. The rating method selected includes both how to meter the data transmitted during a data communication session and determine the rate to be applied to each metered increment. Examples of methods used to meter the data include time and volume. Different rating methods which can be used to rate the communication session include, for example, application, data utilization, source of data, data type, class of service, quality of service and transmission efficiency.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation-in-part application from co-pending, commonlyassigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/911,868 filed on Jul. 23,2001, entitled “Method and System for Data Rating for Wireless Devices,”by Watler et al., which claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C.§119 from commonly assigned U.S. Provisional Patent Application SerialNo. 60/220,029 filed on Jul. 21, 2000 and U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Serial No. 60/220,233 filed on Jul. 21, 2000, thedisclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a method and system for datarating for wireless devices, and in particular, to mobile or cellularphones and radio phones that are capable of moving from one transmissionstation to another in a communication network.

More specifically, the method and system of the present invention allowsrating of a data communication session to be performed within thewireless device, such as a mobile phone. As a result, by accomplishingthe rating within each mobile phone, the communication traffic between amobile phone and the service provider is reduced thereby expanding thetraffic handling capacity of the service provider. A system for ratingand billing a voice communication session within a mobile phone isdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,100 (the '100 Patent), and U.S. Pat.No. 6,198,915 B1 (the '915 Patent).

Advanced data communication services in the mobile telephony environmentare becoming a reality. Short Message Service (SMS), UnstructuredSupplementary Service Data (USSD), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS),Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE), 1×, 1×RTT, short range radiofrequency protocols (e.g., IEEE 802.11.b) etc. are all examples oftechnologies that may be used to implement wireless data communication.

Wireless device users are demanding improved data services, and datacarriers are hurriedly trying to develop solutions that would satisfythe demands of such users. However, traditional network-based billingsystems are ill equipped to deal with some data carriers' currentbusiness practices or methods for billing for data services other thanmonthly subscription.

For example, monitoring and keeping track of data packets accurately forbilling purposes at the network level is not a simple task, especiallywhen such monitoring must be done in real time as required by prepaidand limited use services. When data packets are sent to a destination,they are usually routed via several nodes and networks before they reachtheir final destination. Traversing several networks presents a problemfrom a monitoring perspective because different networks and theirrespective equipment very often handle data packets differently.

Furthermore, typical network-based billing systems are generallyequipped to deal with call detail records (CDRs). Such billing systemsare usually dimensioned to be able to accommodate 3 or 4 CDRs per userper day. With the use of packet data, each packet generates its owndetail record, referred to here as usage detail records (UDRs). A UDR isnecessary because in packet switching communications each packet istransmitted to its destination separately via different routing paths.As a result, a UDR is needed for each packet in order to keep track ofthe status of such packet. The proliferation of a large amount of UDRspresents a capacity problem for many existing billing systems. Forinstance, a 30-minute session of GPRS may generate 10,000 UDRs or moreat several serving nodes, an amount of UDRs which existing billingsystems are not equipped to handle and for which purpose it may not becost effective to upgrade.

Moreover, there is an additional challenge to billing datatransmissions, particularly for GPRS. Most of the network equipmentrequired to enable and implement GPRS reside at a base stationcontroller (BSC), while the billing systems reside at a mobile switchingcenter (MSC). The billing systems, accustomed to connecting to one orseveral MSCs, must now accommodate potentially hundreds of BSCs.

In the packet data environment, the network on many occasions may needto resend the same packet more than once, and possibly through alternatetransmission paths. Since multiple UDRs may be generated for the samepacket, network-based billing systems can only generate accurate billingon a per packet basis by gathering all of the UDR's from all of theserving nodes and reconciling them to determine successful delivery.Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a cost effective method andsystem that is capable of rating packet data accurately without thecomplications and capacity burden inherent in traditional network-basedbilling systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A method and system for rating a data communication session between anetwork and a wireless device is disclosed. The rating of the datacommunication session is accomplished by a data rating application thatresides in the wireless device, avoiding the complications and capacityburden inherent in traditional network-based billing systems. In anexemplary embodiment, the method uses a number of factors to determinehow to rate a data communication session, i.e., the data communicationsession is rated based on one of a number of rating methods. Examples ofsuch factors include: the application on the wireless devices using thedata, data utilization, the source of the data being transmitted to thewireless device, the class of service, the quality of service andtransmission efficiency. Typically, the rating method selected includesboth how to meter the data and determine the rate to be applied to eachmetered increment. Examples of methods to meter the data include time(i.e. duration of the data communication session) and volume (e.g.kilobytes or number of packets). In an exemplary embodiment, the methodmonitors a series of events, namely, a setup event, a begin event and anend event, which take place during a data communication session. Bymonitoring such events, the data rating application is then able todetermine when to evaluate the factors needed to determine how to ratethe data communication session as well as, when to begin, and when toend, metering the data communication session. The data ratingapplication is then able to apply the applicable rate to the metereddata.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a systemfor rating a data communication session is provided. The systemcomprises: a wireless device capable of communicating with a network toestablish the data communication session; a data rating applicationresiding on the wireless device; wherein the data rating application isconfigured to detect a number of factors and/or events which take placeduring the course of conducting the data communication session betweenthe network and the wireless device; wherein the data rating applicationis further configured to initiate one of a number of rating methods torate the data communication session based on the detected factors and/orevents.

According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, amethod for rating a data communication session between a wireless deviceand a network is provided. The method comprises: installing a datarating application on the wireless device; causing the data ratingapplication to detect a number of factors and/or events which take placeduring the course of conducting the data communication session betweenthe wireless device and the network; upon detecting one or more of thefactors and/or events, causing the data rating application to initiateone of a number of rating methods; upon initiating one of the number ofrating method, causing the data rating application to calculate chargesfor the data communication session based on the initiated rating method.

Reference to the remaining portions of the specification, including thedrawings and claims, will realize other features and advantages of thepresent invention. Further features and advantages of the presentinvention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodimentsof the present invention, are described in detail below with respect toaccompanying drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical orfunctionally similar elements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic diagram illustrating a first wirelesscommunication arrangement which can be used by one exemplary embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic diagram illustrating a second wirelesscommunication arrangement which can be used by a second exemplaryembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a simplified schematic diagram illustrating the generalsequence of communication between a network and a wireless device inaccordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic diagram illustrating a first wirelesscommunication arrangement which can be used by an exemplary embodimentof the present invention. A network 10 having a number of applications(not shown) connected thereto communicates with a wireless device 14,such as a cellular phone, via a transmission station 12. Morespecifically, data from the applications is passed to the network 10that, in turn, relays it to the transmission station 12 for transmissionto the wireless device 14. Data may be transmitted between the network10 and the wireless device 14 using data packets. That is, data to betransmitted is broken down into data packets and each data packet isthen individually transmitted by the network 10 to the wireless device14 and reassembled in the wireless device 14. The transmission station12 uses over-the-air communications to communicate with the wirelessdevice 14. Over-the-air communication protocols that can be used toimplement wireless communications between the wireless device 14 and thenetwork 10 include, for example, GSM, CDMA, TDMA, UMTS, etc.Furthermore, network data communication protocols that can be used toimplement data communication between the wireless device 14 and thenetwork 10 include SMS, USSD, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, 1×, and 1×RTT. A personof ordinary skill in the art will know of other ways and methods toimplement over-the-air communications.

FIG. 2 illustrates a second wireless communication arrangement which canbe used by another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.Referring to FIG. 2, the network 10 is connected to a wireless router 20via a physical connection, such as a telephone line or cable. Thewireless router 20 acting as a communication relay allows one or morewireless devices 14 to communicate with the network 10. Communicationsbetween the router 20 and the wireless device 14 are achieved usingwireless communication protocols. A person of ordinary skill in the artwill know of various wireless communication protocols which can be usedto implement communications between the router 20 and the wirelessdevice 14. This second wireless communication arrangement can be used ina number of ways. For example, one situation would be a router installedin a home. The router would communicate with various appliances ordevices in the home and deliver many forms of voice and/or data servicesto the home. For instance, programming might be delivered to thetelevision; phone calls might be delivered to the phone; data servicesmight be delivered to the home computer, etc. These services might havetheir respective rating requirements that could be handled by thepresent invention as further described below. Another situation would bea router installed in a public facility such as an airport. A type ofservice, e.g., mobile data service, may be delivered to many users atthe public facility. These users could have their respective uniquerating requirements. Through their subscriber profiles or by menuselection, these users could receive (and be billed for) a service levelwith higher speed or accuracy of transmission. Similarly, as will befurther described below, the present invention can be used to achievethe foregoing.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, thewireless device 14 includes a data rating application that is capable ofdetecting factors and events in the wireless device 14 that relate todata transmissions to and from the wireless device 14. The factorsavailable for rating the data communication session and the eventsprovided by the network 10, and ultimately the wireless device 14, fordetecting those factors are dependent upon the network 10 and thewireless device 14. The data rating application can reside on executablememory within the wireless device 14. Such memory can be one of any typesuch as ROM, EPROM, or flash memory. The data rating application canstore dynamic data in RAM and utilize nonvolatile memory such as EEPROMor flash memory to store control data. Alternatively, the data ratingapplication can reside on a smart card, such as a universal subscriberidentification module (USIM) or Removable Universal Identity Module(R-UIM), which is attachable to the wireless device 14.

In an alternative embodiment, the data rating application resides on therouter 20. Depending on the system and/or design requirements, thelocation of the data rating application can vary. Based on thedisclosure provided herein, a person of ordinary skill in the art willbe able to implement the data rating application at one of manylocations within a system depending on the system and/or designrequirements.

The data rating application uses a multi-factor rating algorithm todetermine the method to be used to rate a data communication session.Examples of factors used in the multi-factor rating algorithm include:the application on the wireless devices 14 using the data, datautilization, the source of the data being transmitted to the wirelessdevice 14, the class of service, and the quality of service. The absenceof any factors (default methods), one of the factors, or combinations ofthe factors determine the method to be used to rate the datacommunication session.

Typically, the rating method selected includes the method to be used tometer the data, as well as, the tariff or rate to be applied to eachincrement metered. Examples of methods used to meter the data includethe duration of the data communication session and the volume of datatransmitted or received during the data communication session. Examplesof measures of data volume include kilobytes, number of packets, or somearbitrary denomination, such as 500 kilobytes or 500 packets.

In an exemplary embodiment, a series of events, namely, a setup event, abegin event and an end event, which take place during a datacommunication session are monitored by the wireless device 14. Morespecifically, the monitoring of such events is accomplished by the datarating application that resides in the wireless device 14. By monitoringsuch events, the data rating application is then able to determine whento evaluate the factors needed to determine how to rate the datacommunication session as well as, when to begin, and when to end,metering the data communication session. The data rating application isthen able to apply the applicable rate to the metered data.

In an exemplary embodiment, the data rating application functions incooperation with, or is a part of, other applications residing on thewireless device 14. For example, the data rating application may beinstalled on a prepaid debit mobile phone as described in U.S. Pat. No.5,577,100 (the '100 Patent), which is incorporated herein by referencein its entirety. The data rating application when installed on suchmobile phone works in conjunction with, or is a part of, the complexbilling algorithm used to calculate the charge for a communicationsession to debit the internal prepaid account correctly andinstantaneously. In the case of prepaid, or limited usage, phoneapplications, the data rating application preferably works with thoseapplications in real time so that the remaining funds or usage can beinstantaneously monitored.

Alternatively, the data rating application may simply capture the ratinginformation and forward such information to other applications. Forexample, the data rating application may forward the rating informationwith respect to data communication sessions from the wireless device 14to other applications residing on the network 10 for further processing,such as billing, collection, and settlement.

Furthermore, the data rating application of the present invention ishighly scalable to handle any increase or decrease in data ratingdemand. Because the data rating application utilizes data processingresources within the wireless device 14, each additional user requiringdata rating resources also brings a new wireless device 14 and thus theadditional data processing resources needed by the user. Utilizing thedata processing resources within the wireless device 14 also reduces theburden on the processing capacity of the network 10.

FIG. 3 is a simplified schematic diagram illustrating the sequence ofcommunication between the network 10 and the wireless device 14 inaccordance with the present invention. When a connection between thenetwork 10 and the wireless device 14 is to be established, a setupevent is caused to occur. The setup event signifies that a connection isto be established between the network 10 and the wireless device 14.Upon detection of the setup event for a data communication session, thedata rating application determines the values of the factors in itsmulti-factor rating algorithm, so that it is ready to meter the datacommunication session upon the occurrence of a begin event. The beginevent is typically an event which signifies that the connection betweenthe network 10 and the wireless device 14 is established and thatcommunication can now take place between the network 10 and the wirelessdevice 14. When the connection between the network 10 and the wirelessdevice 14 is to be terminated, an end event is caused to occur whichtypically signifies the termination of the connection between thenetwork 10 and the wireless device 14.

Depending on the particular situation, the setup event, the begin eventand the end event can be originated by either the network 10 or thewireless device 14. It should be understood that the setup event, thebegin event and the end event are described herein in a general manner.These events can be detected in various ways depending on the wirelessdevice and the network data communication protocol being used. A personof ordinary skill in the art would know of other ways and methods todetect these events using various different wireless devices and networkdata communication protocols.

A number of exemplary situations illustrating the sequence of eventsthat take place between the network 10 and the wireless device 14 areprovided below. For example, in one situation, if the wireless device 14is to communicate with another wireless device (not shown), the wirelessdevice 14 then first contacts the network 10 to establish a connection.Contacting the network 10 to establish the connection is the setupevent. When the network 10 detects the setup event, the network 10checks and allocates resources to establish the connection. The network10 then sends an acknowledgment (ACK) to the wireless device 14informing the wireless device 14 that a connection is now established.The ACK is the begin event. Upon receiving the ACK, the wireless device14 is then able to transmit and receive data to and from the network 10.When the wireless device 14 wishes to conclude the data communicationsession with the network 10, the wireless device 14 then terminates theconnection. Alternatively, the connection can also be terminated by thenetwork 10. Terminating the connection is the end event.

In another exemplary situation, if the network 10 wishes to establish aconnection with the wireless device 14, for example, due to anotherwireless device (not shown) desiring to communicate with the wirelessdevice 14, the network 10 checks and allocates resources to establishthe connection and then contacts the wireless device 14. Contacting thewireless device 14 to establish the connection is the setup event. Whenthe wireless device 14 detects the setup event, the wireless device 14sends back an acknowledgment (ACK) to the network 10 informing thenetwork 10 that a connection is now established. The ACK is the beginevent. Upon receiving the ACK, the network 10 and the wireless device 14are then able to communicate with each other. Similarly, when the datacommunication session between the network 10 and the wireless device 14is to be concluded, the connection can be terminated by either thenetwork 10 or the wireless device 14. Terminating the connection is theend event.

By monitoring the events, namely the setup event, the begin event, andthe end event, the data rating application is then able to determinewhen to evaluate the factors needed to determine how to rate the datacommunication session as well as, when to begin, and when to end,metering the data communication session. The following are examples ofmetering methods that may be used by a rating method.

According to an exemplary metering method, the data communicationsession between the network 10 and the wireless device 14 is metered byconnection. Here, the data rating application only calculates a chargeonce per connection.

In this exemplary mode of operation, when data rating applicationdetects the begin event signifying that a connection to the network 10has been established, the data rating application can calculate thecharge for the connection at the rate determined by the multifactorrating algorithm. No further metering is necessary. The data ratingapplication may function in cooperation with, or be a part of, otherbilling applications residing on the wireless device 14 or on thenetwork 10. Depending upon the requirements of the other billingapplications, the data rating application passes the calculated chargeand other rating information to the other billing applications in realtime or upon some other predetermined event. For example, using theprepaid debit mobile phone as described in the '100 Patent inconjunction with the data rating application, the data ratingapplication captures and calculates the relevant rating information andcooperates, in real time, with the accounting application in the mobilephone to debit the internal prepaid account accordingly.

According to a second exemplary metering method, the data communicationsession between the network 10 and the wireless device 14 is metered bytime. Here, the data rating application calculates a charge for the datacommunication session based on the length of time the wireless device 14is connected to the network 10 exchanging data.

Similarly, in this exemplary mode of operation, when data ratingapplication detects the begin event signifying that a connection to thenetwork 10 has been established, it begins timing the data communicationsession utilizing a timer residing on the wireless device 14.Alternatively, the timer may reside on the network. When the end eventis detected by the data rating application, i.e. termination of theconnection by either the network 10 or the wireless device 14, the datarating application stops the timer for that particular datacommunication session. The data rating application may function incooperation with, or be a part of, other billing applications residingon the wireless device 14 or on the network 10. Depending upon therequirements of the other billing applications, the data ratingapplication passes the calculated charge and other rating information tothe other billing applications in real time or upon some otherpredetermined event.

According to a third exemplary metering method, the data communicationsession between the network 10 and the wireless device 14 is metered byvolume. Here, the data rating application calculates a charge for thedata communication session based on the amount or volume of datadownloaded to or uploaded from the wireless device 14 during thecommunication session. It is to be understood that the unit of measurefor the amount of data may vary. For example, data volume can becalculated based on a per kilobyte basis or a per packet basis; billingcan also be calculated based on any other arbitrary denomination such asa unit rate per 500 kilobytes or per 500 packets.

In this exemplary mode of operation, when the data rating applicationdetects the begin event, the data rating application begins to keeptrack of the amount of data downloaded to or uploaded from the wirelessdevice 14 in accordance with the unit of measure required by theapplicable rating method. Based on the multi-factor algorithm, the datarating application determines the unit of measure to be tracked and thecharge per unit of measure. The ability of the data rating applicationto measure data and what units of measure are available is dependent onthe capabilities of the wireless device 14 to measure data. When the endevent is detected by the data rating application, i.e. termination ofthe connection by either the network 10 or the wireless device 14, thedata rating application stops tracking the packets or kilobytes or otherunit of measure for that particular data communication session. The datarating application may function in cooperation with, or be a part of,other billing applications residing on the wireless device 14 or on thenetwork 10. Depending upon the requirements of the other billingapplications, the data rating application passes the calculated chargeand other rating information to the other billing applications in realtime or upon some other predetermined event.

For example, if the data communication session is to be billed on a perpacket basis, the data rating application keeps track of eachdownloaded/uploaded data packet and then calculates the cost of eachdata packet using information from a rating table which containsdifferent rate information. If the data rating application isfunctioning in cooperation with, or as a part of, the accountingapplication in a prepaid debit mobile phone as described in the '100Patent, the cost of each data packet is debited from the internalprepaid account in real time.

As mentioned above, the data rating application uses the multi-factoralgorithm to determine how to rate a data communication session, i.e.,how to meter the data and determine the rate to be applied to eachmetered increment. The absence of any factors (default methods), one ofthe factors, or combinations of the factors determine the method used torate the data communication session. The following are examples offactors that may be used to select a rating method.

According to an exemplary rating method, a factor used to select arating method is the application in the wireless device 14 that will beusing the data from the data communication session between the network10 and the wireless device 14. For instance, one type of rating methodmay apply to an e-mail application, and another type of rating methodmay apply to a music-downloading application. In this exemplary mode ofoperation, when the wireless device 14 initiates contact with thenetwork 10 to establish a connection, the data rating applicationdetects the setup event, i.e., the initiation of contact with thenetwork 10, and determines which application is requesting the datacommunication session and uses this information in selecting a ratingmethod.

According to a second exemplary rating method, a factor used to select arating method is data utilization, or more specifically, the rating fordata obtained during the data communication session between the network10 and the wireless device 14 is based on the wireless device 14 (or anapplication thereon) using the data (which itself may be anapplication). For example, if the data obtained by the wireless device14 during a data communication session is a game application, when thegame application is initiated or executed, the data rating applicationuses this information in selecting a rating method.

According to a third exemplary rating method, a factor used to select arating method is the source of the data transmitted during the datacommunication session between the network 10 and the wireless device 14.The source of data may be referred to as the originating site in thecase of data being pushed to the wireless device. The source of data mayalso be referred to as the destination site in the case of data beingpulled to the wireless by request of the user. For instance, one type ofrating method may apply to an origination site that pushes flight updateinformation to the wireless device. In this exemplary mode of operation,when the network 10 contacts the wireless device 14 to establish aconnection, the data rating application detects the setup event, i.e.,the initiation of contact with the network 10, and determines which siteis initiating the data communication session and uses this informationin selecting a rating method. In another example, another type of ratingmethod may apply to a destination site such as Lexis/Nexis. In thisexemplary mode of operation, when the wireless device 14 initiatescontact with the network 10 to establish a connection, the data ratingapplication detects the setup event, i.e., the initiation of contactwith the network 10, and determines which site the user is attempting toreach and uses this information in selecting a rating method.

According to a fourth exemplary rating method, a factor used to select arating method is the type of data received by the wireless device 14during the data communication session. A content or data provider mayset different pricing levels for various types of data which suchcontent provider makes available. The pricing information for varioustypes of data from a content provider may be available to the datarating application. Such pricing information may be stored in a memorylocation in the wireless device 14. When the wireless device 14 receivesthe data, the data rating application then only needs to identify thetype of data which is received and match it against the availablepricing information. Information identifying the type of data receivedmay be contained in a proprietary tag or other field embedded in thedata. Alternatively, the content provider may include pricinginformation for each type of data in a proprietary tag or other fieldcontained with the data. By obtaining the pricing information, the datarating application is then able to determine the charge for the datacommunication session based on the type(s) of data that are received.

According to a fifth exemplary rating method, a factor used to select arating method is the class of service used for the data communicationsession between the network 10 and the wireless device 14. Here, thedata rating application bills the data communication session based onthe type of connectivity a user chooses for the wireless device 14 totransmit and receive data packets. Different types of connectivityinclude, for example, SMS, USSD, GPRS, etc. In this exemplary mode ofoperation, when the wireless device 14 initiates contact with thenetwork 10 to establish a connection, the data rating applicationdetects the setup event, i.e., the initiation of contact with thenetwork 10. Furthermore, the user is given a choice to select, or mayhave previously selected, the class of service which is to be used bythe wireless device 14 to transmit and receive data for the pending datacommunication session. The user may be able to select the class ofservice during a subscription initiation process when the user signs upfor service with a service provider or via a user interface of thewireless device 14. The data rating application uses this information inselecting a rating method.

According to a sixth exemplary rating method, a factor used to select arating method is the quality of service used for the data communicationsession between the network 10 and the wireless device 14. Here, thedata rating application bills the data communication session based onthe quality of service a user chooses for the wireless device 14 totransmit and receive data packets. Different networks permit requestsfor connections to be given varying levels of quality of service, andbased on such requests allocate greater network resources to serve suchconnections accordingly. In this exemplary mode of operation, when thewireless device 14 initiates contact with the network 10 to establish aconnection, the data rating application detects the setup event, i.e.,the initiation of contact with the network 10. Furthermore, the user isgiven a choice to select, or may have previously selected, the qualityof service which is to be used by the wireless device 14 to transmit andreceive data for the pending data communication session. The user may beable to select the quality of service during a subscription initiationprocess when the user signs up for service with a service provider orvia a user interface of the wireless device 14. The data ratingapplication uses this information in selecting a rating method.

According to a seventh exemplary rating method, a factor used to selecta rating method is data transmission efficiency for the datacommunication session between the network 10 and the wireless device 14.Here, the data rating application calculates charges for the datacommunication session based on the successful delivery and/or receipt ofdata packets by the wireless device 14. For example, at the end of adata communication session the data rating application may determinethat one hundred (100) data packets were required to successfullydeliver fifty (50) data packets of data. Based on this determination,the data rating application then works in conjunction with otheraccounting applications to credit an account to reflect the poor qualityof service received during the data communication session.

It is understood that the examples and embodiments described herein arefor illustrative purposes only and that various modifications or changesin light thereof will be suggested to persons skilled in the art and areto be included within the spirit and purview of this application andscope of the appended claims. All publications, patents, and patentapplications cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference for allpurposes in their entirety.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for determining a charge in connectionwith a data communication session, comprising: a router disposed betweena network and a wireless device; and a data rating applicationconfigured to use a metering method to meter the data communicationsession and a rating method to determine a corresponding rate to be usedin conjunction with the metering method, wherein the data ratingapplication is used to determine the charge in connection with the datacommunication session wherein the data rating application resides in therouter.
 2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the wireless deviceis a mobile phone, a computer, a television, an appliance or atelephone.
 3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the meteringmethod is selected from a plurality of metering methods.
 4. The systemaccording to claim 3 wherein the plurality of metering methods include ametering by connection method; and wherein the metering by connectionmethod determines the charge in connection with the data communicationsession based on a connection for the data communication session beingestablished.
 5. The system according to claim 3 wherein the plurality ofmetering methods include a metering by time method; and wherein themetering by time method determines the charge in connection with thedata communication session based on duration of the data communicationsession.
 6. The system according to claim 3 wherein the plurality ofmetering methods include a metering by volume method; and wherein themetering by volume method determines the charge in connection with thedata communication session based on volume of data transmitted and/orreceived by the wireless device during the data communication session.7. The system according to claim 6 wherein the metering by volume methodfurther includes metering on a per kilobyte basis, metering on a perpacket basis or metering on a predetermined denomination basis.
 8. Thesystem according to claim 1 wherein the rating method is selected from aplurality of rating methods.
 9. The system according to claim 8 whereinthe data rating application is configured to select one of the pluralityof rating methods based on source of data received by the wirelessdevice during the data communication session.
 10. The system accordingto claim 9 wherein the data rating application is configured to selectone of the plurality of rating methods based on type of data received bythe wireless device during the data communication session.
 11. Thesystem according to claim 10 wherein the rating method selected isdetermined by the value of a data field in the data received.
 12. Thesystem according to claim 8 wherein the data rating application isconfigured to select one of the plurality of rating methods based onservice level selected for the data communication session.
 13. Thesystem according to claim 12 wherein the service level selected relatesto speed and/or accuracy of data transmission during the datacommunication session.
 14. The system according to claim 12 wherein theservice level is selected by a user during a subscription process or viaa user interface.
 15. The system according to claim 1 wherein the datarating application is configured to cooperate with an accountingapplication to update an account relating to the wireless device. 16.The system according to claim 15 wherein the accounting applicationresides in the wireless device.
 17. The system according to claim 15wherein the accounting application resides at a location external to thewireless device.
 18. The system according to claim 1 wherein the datarating application is configured to select the rating method and themetering method upon detecting a set-up event which takes place duringthe course of setting up the data communication session; and wherein theset-up event is originated by either the network or the wireless deviceto indicate that the data communication session is to begin.
 19. Thesystem according to claim 1 wherein the data rating application isconfigured to begin determining the charge in connection with the datacommunication session using the metering method and the rating methodupon detecting a begin event which takes place during the course of thedata communication session; and wherein the begin event is originated byeither the network or the wireless device to indicate that the datacommunication session has begun.
 20. The system according to claim 1wherein the data rating application is configured to end determining thecharge in connection with the data communication session using themetering method and the rating method upon detecting an end event whichtakes place during the course of the data communication session; andwherein the end event is originated by either the network or thewireless device to indicate that the data communication session hasended.
 21. The system according to claim 8 wherein the wireless deviceincludes a plurality of additional applications residing therein; andwherein the data rating application is configured to select one of theplurality of rating methods based on which one of the plurality ofadditional applications residing in the wireless device will be usingdata received by the wireless device during the data communicationsession.
 22. The system according to claim 1 wherein the data ratingapplication is configured to use the rating method based on usage ofdata received during the data communication session.
 23. The systemaccording to claim 22 wherein the data received during the datacommunication session is a downloaded application; and wherein thecharge is determined based on occurrence or duration of usage of thedownloaded application.
 24. A system for determining a charge inconnection with a data communication session, comprising: a routerdisposed between a network and a wireless device; and a data ratingapplication configured to select a metering method from a plurality ofmetering methods to meter the data communication session and a ratingmethod from a plurality of rating methods to determine a correspondingrate to be used in conjunction with the selected metering method todetermine the charge in connection with the data communication session;wherein the data rating application resides in the router.
 25. Thesystem according to claim 24 wherein the wireless device is a mobilephone, a computer, a television an appliance or a telephone.
 26. Thesystem according to claim 24 wherein the data rating application isconfigured to cooperate with an accounting application to update anaccount relating to the wireless device.
 27. The system according toclaim 26 wherein the accounting application resides in the wirelessdevice.
 28. The system according to claim 26 wherein the accountingapplication resides at a location external to the wireless device. 29.The system according to claim 24 wherein the data rating application isconfigured to select the rating method and the metering method upondetecting a set-up event which takes place during the course of settingup the data communication session; and wherein the set-up event isoriginated by either the network or the wireless device to indicate thatthe data communication session is to begin.
 30. The system according toclaim 24 wherein the data rating application is configured to begindetermining the charge in connection with the data communication sessionusing the selected metering method and the selected rating method upondetecting a begin event which takes place during the course of the datacommunication session; and wherein the begin event is originated byeither the network or the wireless device to indicate that the datacommunication session has begun.
 31. The system according to claim 24wherein the data rating application is configured to end determining thecharge in connection with the data communication session using theselected metering method and the selected rating method upon detectingan end event which takes place during the course of the datacommunication session; and wherein the end event is originated by eitherthe network or the wireless device to indicate that the datacommunication session has ended.
 32. The system according to claim 24wherein the wireless device includes a plurality of additionalapplications residing therein; and wherein the data rating applicationis configured to select the rating method from the plurality of ratingmethods based on which one of the plurality of additional applicationsresiding in the wireless device will be using data received by thewireless device during the data communication session.
 33. The systemaccording to claim 24 wherein the data rating application is configuredto use the selected rating method based on usage of data received duringthe data communication session.
 34. The system according to claim 33wherein the data received during the data communication session is adownloaded application; and wherein the charge is determined based onoccurrence or duration of usage of the downloaded application.
 35. Thesystem according to claim 24 wherein the data rating application isconfigured to select the rating method from the plurality of ratingmethods based on source of data received by the wireless device duringthe data communication session.
 36. The system according to claim 24wherein the data rating application is configured to select one of theplurality of rating methods based on type of data received by thewireless device during the data communication session.
 37. The systemaccording to claim 36 wherein the rating method selected is determinedby the value of a data field in the data received.
 38. The systemaccording to claim 24 wherein the data rating application is configuredto select the rating method from the plurality of rating methods basedon service level selected for the data communication session.
 39. Thesystem according to claim 38 wherein the service level selected relatesto speed and/or accuracy of data transmission during the datacommunication session.
 40. The system according to claim 38 wherein theservice level is selected by a user during a subscription process or viaa user interface.
 41. The system according to claim 24 wherein theplurality of metering methods include a metering by connection method;and wherein the metering by connection method determines the charge inconnection with the data communication session based on a connection forthe data communication session being established.
 42. The systemaccording to claim 24 wherein the plurality of metering methods includea metering by time method; and wherein the metering by time methoddetermines the charge in connection with the data communication sessionbased on duration of the data communication session.
 43. The systemaccording to claim 24 wherein the plurality of metering methods includea metering by volume method; and wherein the metering by volume methoddetermines the charge in connection with the data communication sessionbased on volume of data transmitted and/or received by the wirelessdevice during the data communication session.
 44. The system accordingto claim 43 wherein the metering by volume method further includesmetering on a per kilobyte basis, metering on a per packet basis ormetering on a predetermined denomination basis.